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High Blood Pressure

General Information

Systolic vs. Diastolic: The blood pressure (BP) reading is written as two numbers, the systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure. For example, if a person had a BP of 130/65, then 130 would be the systolic blood pressure and 65 would be the diastolic blood pressure.
Definition of High Blood Pressure: An adult has hypertension (high blood pressure) if the blood pressure (BP) readings consistently show a BP greater than 140/90, that is, a systolic BP over 140 OR a diastolic BP over 90.
Untreated hypertension may cause damage to the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes.
Automatic home BP measurement devices are usually accurate but can sometimes be unreliable. You should check your BP in both arms. If there is another adult in the home, consider checking his/her BP to see if the device is functioning correctly.
If there is any doubt, go in to your doctor's office to get your blood pressure checked.

Blood Pressure Classification in Adults